Who needs huskies to pull the sleigh, when you have DRUM!

I took advantage of the abnormally calm winds today to make my fifth trip out on the kayak. So many people have told me that the timing is wrong for a warm water discharge… because it’s too hot? I beg to differ… I think the heat makes a certain species of fish go bananas.

As I paddled into the bay, I knew I was going to be in for some fun. Seagulls were diving into the water for what I would later learn to be dying alewife, so warm-water predators would naturally be nearby. As I approached the one other boat fishing the outflow, I caught a glimpse of their stringer. 2 big drum and a selection of 2-3lb bass… not bad! After a brief conversation I learned that they were fishing with plastics rigged on jigs, snagging often, and hooking fish.

It only took a few casts of my 3/4 oz little cleo to get hooked up with a nice fish. 8 lb freshwater drum.

A few more casts in, another smaller drum clamped down.

And deeper into the cove, I hooked a screamer forced my braid to sing to me. 10 lb freshwater drum.

I found a dying silvery minnow skirting across the surface and I netted it. I think it was an alewife, with the shad-like upturned mouth. Man, they’re paper-thin fish! So strange to behold! I threw it out under a float but a seagull quickly plucked it off the hook.

Back to the spoon and got one of the road.

Paddled home a happy guy with 4/4 on fun-sized drum in under 2 hours of fishing.

A few weeks later I returned to the spot with a friend in the comfort of his boat.  We fished late into the night and were treated to the standard fair of drum, but with one exceptional fish.

This 12.5lb drum was a new personal best for me.  The quest for a 20lb’der is on!